


The Dreidel Competition

by stjarna



Series: 25 Days Christmas Romance Challenge and AoS Advent 2017 [10]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: AOS Advent 2017, Competitive Dreidel Play, Dinner, F/M, Hanukkah, Other, Prompt: Beginnings, friends - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-14 01:12:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12996606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stjarna/pseuds/stjarna
Summary: Fitzsimmons and Piper are invited to Hanukkah dinner at Davis’ on the first night of Hanukkah. Competitive dreidel play ensues.





	The Dreidel Competition

**Author's Note:**

  * For [buckysbears (DrZebra)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrZebra/gifts).



> Fits the [AOS Advent prompt "beginnings"](https://aosadvent2017.tumblr.com/post/168453154522/banner-by-the-amazing-merryfitzsimmons-14) since it takes place on the first night of Hanukkah.
> 
> Thank you to @dilkirani for the beta and to @buckysbears for lending me an ear with my questions about Hanukkah.
> 
> [Fits into the [While you waited in darkness](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10989342) universe. But the only things you need to know from that fic are: Fitzsimmons hooked up before Maveth and Jemma ended up pregnant on Maveth. They had a daughter, which they called Hope (born 18 October 2015). Davis’ wife, Mindy, was her obgyn and was there for the birth. They later left S.H.I.E.L.D., moved to Scotland (not Perthshire actually, for a change), and got married in April 2017.]

Davis opened the door and a smile spread across his face at seeing his former colleagues and friends and their two-year-old bundled up at the entrance. “Hey there, glad you found it alright!”

Simmons beamed at Davis, tilting her head slightly to one side. “Chag Sameach, Agent Davis! Thank you so much for your invitation.”

Davis bobbed his head, gesturing into the hallway to invite FitzSimmons in. “Chag Sameach, Agent Simmons, Agent Fitz!”

Simmons stepped inside, followed by Fitz who was carrying their daughter on his hip. She unzipped her coat, before helping Hope out of her winter clothes. “Oh please,” she remarked, looking at Davis while her fingers fumbled with the small buttons of her daughter’s coat, “we haven’t been agents for almost two years. How ‘bout we switch to first names? Agent seems a bit formal anyway, don’t you think?”

Davis nodded in agreement. “It does. I’m Zack.”

“Jemma, as you know.” Simmons smiled, before turning around to hang up first her daughter’s coat and then her own.

Davis looked expectantly at Fitz, who smiled back at him shyly.

“Fitz,” his former colleague remarked. “Let’s just leave it at that?”

Davis chuckled briefly, lifting his chin in Fitz’s direction. “You and Piper can form a club. She still hasn’t told me hers.”

Jemma joined in Davis’ laugher, smiling widely at her husband as she took their daughter from him, allowing Fitz to take off his own coat.

“Ah, yes.” Jemma raised her eyebrows knowingly as she positioned Hope on her hip. “They both seem to have a certain dislike for their given names. Although I always thought Persephone had a lovely ring to it.”

A mischievous grin flashed across Davis’ face, and Jemma’s eyes widened in shock.

“Oh no. I shouldn’t have said that,” she muttered quietly, before turning to her husband, seemingly hoping for a diversion. “Fitz?”

Fitz looked at them with a deer-in-headlight expression, caught off-guard, as he’d been busy checking the fit of his kippah in the mirror. “Oh, um, yeah,” he stammered, before finding his bearings, gesturing at Davis, palms up. “Thank you so much for inviting us, Zack. We’ve never experienced Hanukkah before.”

“Yes.” Jemma nodded in agreement, bouncing Hope up and down on her hip. “And I’m afraid all my knowledge of the Jewish faith and Jewish traditions is strictly theoretical.”

Davis scoffed in amusement. “Yeah, well, our household is definitely not your typical Jewish household. I mean, Mindy is Hindu, in theory at least, although she’s quite taken to the major Jewish holiday traditions. Her brisket’s better than my mom’s.” He pointed at Jemma and Fitz, giving them a stern, yet pleading look. “Don’t tell my mom that.”

Jemma chuckled quietly. “Wouldn’t dare.”

“My parents are Reform Jews,” Davis explained, tucking his hands into his pockets.

Jemma’s eyes widened in curiosity. “So you don’t keep kosher?”

Davis ticked his head side to side. “Some Reform Jews do, but my dad loved bacon way too much to keep kosher. But for Hanukkah we always try to keep a bit more with tradition. We’ll light the menorah before dinner, since sundown is on the earlier side. Recite the brachah. Then you’ll get the full spread of traditional foods: brisket, latkes, sufganiyot, the whole nine yards. And if you don’t fall into a food coma, we’ll play dreidel.”

A smile spread across Jemma’s face. “Well, that sounds quite delightful.”

Fitz nodded in agreement, reaching over to his wife to take their daughter from her again. “Yes, it does, and, again, thank you so much for inviting us!”

Davis waved him off. “You’re more than welcome. Glad you could fit us in. Sounds like you’ve been making the rounds?”

“Indeed,” Jemma confirmed. “Trying to fit everyone in before we head back to the U.K. The grandparents want to celebrate Christmas with Hope. But we’re so glad you got in touch with us. It’s been so long since we’ve had a chance to see you and Mindy.”

As if Jemma’s voice had conjured her, Mindy stepped into the hallway at that very moment, cradling their four-month-old in her arms. Her face lit up when she saw the FitzSimmons family. “Oh, hey there!”

“Mindy!” Jemma exclaimed excitedly, leaning in to give Mindy a hug. “It’s so wonderful to see you. Chag Sameach!”

Mindy bobbed her head in gratitude. “Hanukkah Sameach! Good to see you too, Jemma, Fitz.” She focused from Fitz back to Jemma, her eyes wandering to Jemma’s midsection. “So, how’s pregnancy No. 2 treating you, Jemma?”

A quiet chuckle escaped Jemma’s lips. “Well, considering that I’m not spending this one on an alien planet, I must say it’s been rather delightful.”

Mindy laughed out loud. “Good to hear.” She turned to Fitz, giving him a pretend stern look. “You taking good care of her, I assume?”

Fitz smiled as he glanced at his wife, looking at her with adoring eyes. “Always.”

Mindy grinned, scrunching her nose. “And my, oh my, I can’t believe how big you are, Hope.”

The two-year old smiled back shyly, snuggling a bit more closely against her father.

“Hope has a little gift for Davis D. Davis for the first night of Hanukkah,” Jemma remarked, gesturing at a small gift box which Hope was clutching tightly. “Marvelous choice of name, might I add?”

Davis shook his head. “I still can’t believe Piper talked Mindy into that name. And I still can’t believe Mindy talked me into that name.”

Mindy chuckled, reassuringly patting her husband’s shoulder. “It’s a great name, Zack. Relax.”

Jemma gently nudged her daughter’s elbow. “Why don’t you go ahead and give Zack and Mindy your present for Davis, Hope?”

The little girl nervously looked at her mother before stretching out her arm and looking with wide expectant eyes at Mindy and Davis.

“Well, thank you, Hope.” Davis took the box from Hope and opened it. He laughed, showing the present to his wife.

“Oh wow!” Mindy exclaimed, excitedly. “A S.H.I.E.L.D. kippah? That’s amazing.”

* * *

Jemma placed her napkin on the table, turning her head slightly to look at Mindy and Davis. “Dinner was absolutely delicious. A sheynem dank.”

“Nishto far vos!” the couple replied in unison, both getting up simultaneously to start clearing the table.

Fitz grinned widely, looking up at Mindy as she accepted his empty plate. “Are there any rules on Hanukkah leftovers? Because I’d like to take basically any leftovers.”

Jemma laughed. “Oh, Fitz, you bottomless pit. We’re staying at a hotel. We don’t even have the necessary fridge space to keep anything or means to reheat things. We’re leaving in two days. And here I thought I was the one eating for two!”

Fitz looked at her with big puppy-eyes, pursing his lips and gesturing at the leftover food on the table. “But the brisket—”

Jemma couldn’t suppress a little chuckle. She ticked her head to the side. “Fitz.”

Mindy and Davis both laughed, and Mindy opened her mouth to reply to Fitz’s initial question, but before she could speak, Piper’s voice broke the silence.

“Okay, so, when does this whole dreidel thing start, because that sounds like fun and I need to kick Simmons’ ass in something since she let my first name slip.”

Jemma slumped her shoulders, looking sternly at Piper. “I have apologized profusely, Piper, and a little slip-up like this will most certainly not deter me from beating you in a friendly game of dreidel.”

Mindy tried to hide her amusement, her eyes wandering between Piper and Jemma. “Well, this should be interesting.”

Fitz glanced up at her, looking just a tad helpless. “Do you have a second dreidel? Because I have a feeling Hope shouldn’t be part of this Olympic competition version.”

Mindy chuckled, ticking her head to the side. “You mean the kid half-asleep in her high-chair.”

Fitz took a closer look at his daughter. She was blinking slowly, her head drooping forward and her small hand barely holding on to the spoon in her hand. “Oh boy.”

Mindy smiled, nudging Fitz’s shoulder with her elbow. “Why don’t we put her up in Davis’ room? They can be snuggle buddies.”

* * *

“Oh, come on! Unbelievable!” Piper threw one hand in the air, watching Jemma grab the pot, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

“It’s all about the right speed and angle,” Jemma explained matter-of-factly. “It’s science, Piper. Tried and tested science.”

Piper slammed her hand on the floor, before lifting her index finger. “One more round!”

Davis groaned quietly, tilting his head to one side. “You’ve lost five times in a row, Piper. Let it go.”

Piper pointed indignantly at Davis. “Oh, don’t you dare start quoting Frozen to me, Davis!” she growled through her teeth.

Davis threw his hands in the air in resignation. “What happened to the lovely evening with friends and family. Peace and quiet.”

Piper leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Isn’t Hanukkah celebrating a violent revolution or something?”

Davis rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but you don’t have to celebrate it quite so literally, Piper.”

Piper gestured at Jemma, but kept her eyes focused on Davis. “Tell that to Simmons.”

Jemma gasped in disbelief, pressing her hand against her chest. “I’m perfectly peaceful, Piper. You were the one who practically challenged me to—”

“Yeah, because you… you… you told him my first name!” Piper interjected, once again crossing her arms over her chest protectively.

Jemma sighed. “And I apologized, Piper. I am really and truly sorry. Really.” She paused, looking remorsefully at Piper, when suddenly her face lit up. She straightened up in her chair, smiling widely. “How about as a peace offering, you get to choose our baby’s name?”

A mischievous grin spread across Piper’s face, while Fitz straightened up as if struck by lightning.

“Hey, whoa, what?” Fitz exclaimed in disbelief.

“Simmons, no!” Davis waved his hands horizontally across the table in an ‘abort the mission’ gesture. He pointed at Piper. “She talked my wife into naming our son Davis D. Davis!”

Piper ignored the two men’s protest, extending her hand across the table towards Jemma. “I accept.”

Jemma bobbed her head and accepted Piper’s handshake. “Excellent.”

Davis buried his face in his hands, moaning in agony.

“How do you say ‘bloody hell’ in Yiddish?” Fitz asked, his tone quiet and in shock.

**Author's Note:**

> The idea to name Davis' kid "Davis D. Davis" basically came from [something Briana Venskus said](https://the-nerdy-stjarna.tumblr.com/post/165556276854/when-briana-venskus-retweets-your-tweet-and-you). It's also brought up in ["Davis' day off"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12201843) (which you can sort of read as a prequel to this fic)
> 
> So, what do you all think Piper will name Fitzsimmons' Baby No. 2?


End file.
